Text Only Tool
Preamble:
The University has authority under state law to pay tuition and other
education expenses for the education or training of eligible University
employees when such education or training has been determined to be of
value to the state and the University.
Policy Statement:
1. Wichita State University may pay, from available appropriations, the actual cost of tuition and required fees in order to provide education or training for any eligible classified or unclassified non-teaching employee when such education or training is determined to be of value to Wichita State University.
2. Employees eligible for tuition assistance will be those Wichita State University classified and unclassified professional non-teaching employees who hold at least a half-time, benefits eligible appointment. Assistance is not payable to employees on unpaid leave. Employees who are receiving grants or scholarships will not be eligible for tuition assistance. The employee must have a current performance evaluation of “satisfactory,” “meets expectations” or an equivalent rating, or be pursuing training or education directly related to a specific performance deficiency.
3. To maintain eligibility, the employee must satisfactorily pass all courses with a “C” or better while receiving assistance for undergraduate coursework, or a “B” or better for graduate courses. Failure to meet this requirement will make the employee ineligible for tuition assistance until the employee has satisfactorily passed another qualified course of the same number of hours at the employee’s expense.
4. A Wichita State University course or seminar will be considered to be of value to the state and the University and thus eligible for tuition assistance if it is determined that the course can be credited towards a degree, will provide professional growth or development for the employee, or is job-related training.
5. Tuition assistance is limited to one course or seminar a semester unless the course is required as a condition of the employee’s work (e.g. the state required supervisory training course for supervisors). Seminars that exceed the cost of the maximum undergraduate hours allowed in a semester will be limited to a reimbursement amount that is equivalent to the cost of the maximum undergraduate hours that could have been taken that semester.
6. The Tuition Assistance Program will be administered by the Director of Human Resources including establishing and communicating an appropriate application process to University employees.
7. In the event insufficient funds are available to fund all tuition assistance requests, the decision of which applications will be approved will be determined by the Tuition Assistance Committee, comprised of three members appointed by the Classified Senate and three members appointed by the Unclassified Professional Senate. The Director of Human Resources will be the facilitator for the Committee. The decision of the Tuition Assistance Committee shall be final.
8. Release of an employee to attend University classes or seminars during regular work hours is subject to the requirements and discretion of the employee’s supervisor and budget officer. Release time may be granted to eligible classified and unclassified professional non-teaching employees to take one course or seminar per semester. Makeup time is not required for academic classes or seminars related to the employee’s job or performance, as determined by the employee’s supervisor and budget officer. Release time for classes, which are not directly related to the employee’s job or performance, must be unpaid, made up, or charged to vacation leave with the supervisor’s approval. There is no appeal for release time beyond the decision of the employee’s budget officer.
Implementation:
This policy shall be included in the WSU Policies and Procedures
Manual and shared with appropriate constituencies of the
University.
The Director of Human Resources shall have primary responsibility for publication, dissemination and implementation of this University policy.
Effective Date:
May 10, 2001
Revision Date:
August 1, 2007